Food and Travel Writing, Food Styling, Country Life

And so we begin again…cheers!

When I first started this blog, several years ago, I wanted to focus purely on food. As a food writer I wanted to share my recipes, thoughts, recommendations…however, at the time it was not to be and I have admittedly been rather sporadic with my posts (although feel free to read through them). Life has been a bit up and down over that time but now I’ve think I’ve discovered happiness, Hygga, contentment, Cwtchiness (as we say in Wales). For a long time I lost myself and now I realise I was there all along, I just refused to accept myself. Now I am on a new journey.

I ultimately chose one thing ‘To Find Happiness” – if I had to write a list, now, of things which make me smile, it would be extremely long. This blog is going to be packed full of those things, whether physical items, days out with memories attached or photographs. Negativity is not good for the soul, it can always be counteracted, though. This is where mindfulness come in (I do try but I’m not really a kale smoothie drinking, flexibly yogic, life coach-type); I just believe that a happy, positive thought has far more power than a dark, negative one.

I cannot leave my roots though and there will be a fair amount of foodie related (and boozie related) content but alongside this I want to introduce you to some of the ‘lovely things’ in my life that make me smile and yes, some of them are commercialised indulgences and most of them are food and drink! These make you feel good inside just as much as the walk after the rain down by the river, under the trees where the light shone just so. Sometimes a pretty cup or stupidly expensive cake is exactly what’s needed, sometimes new shoes or picking up a lost feather does it. I’m afraid that I am not a ‘back to nature’ blogger who’s wardrobe is capsule and mostly made by indigenous peoples from natural fibres (although I do like a bit of alpaca of a winter), and just sometimes (ahhhhhhh) I even go to McDonalds.

I do subscribe to the ‘buy quality and it will last’ theory and I try to buy British as I believe it is important to support these industries especially as we approach Brexit. And yet, I always seem to turn out a little scruffy.

I never compromise on my annual Smythson diary, rather enjoy wearing pearls and silk scarfs as well as drapey linen ‘Toast” numbers for days when I want to feel ‘yummy mummy’ and I own a pair of Birks. I am not of a type, I am me and am finally proud to be so.